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newst welding project of the year

So I figured id start a new project this year, makin a lamp for the front yard of my parents house, which im currently residing at. using my 225 amp ac/dc lincoln, was plannin on gettin a miller thunderbolt but I dont make enough $ to buy one in a reasonable amount of time... maybe later... heres a few pics of it about completed.

Please note that the pictures arent the best due to that it was dark outside when I shot these and it was in my garage driveway.

another view not the best. The long piece of pipe is 2 1/2 inch, cant remember the thickness, and is about 8 ft long, on the bottom base, a bracket made from 2" pipe which I had torched some grooves in it to go into the base and welded in to hold up the long pipe.. on top is a lamp, which will be attached to a 4" peice of 2" pipe I welded onto a octagon box cover and was all the bushings and crap for the wire to pass through to the octagon box. on the bottom will be an outlet in a weatherhead box

Thats my Lincoln welder, cheap but does a good job, not miller good though. and the green coveralls in the pic are my high school coveralls, but I got a nicer set now. when I get every thing somewhat finished im gonna re-inforce some of the welds by taking them to the shop I work at (wisdom industries) and flux core mig the joints then paint the post black. im not the best arc welder so ive been workin on gettin good at it. mig im gettin good at, and tig the one we had in the ag shop the freshman always busted it so I never got to learn. When I finish this ill post some pics of it in broad daylight andtry and show some of the welds for your viewin pleasure... try not to bag me to much on it

a side view from the top, found some cutouts from the laser cutter at my shop and since the bossman dont care I occassionally take home some scraps that I see potential in, so I tacked them in on all sides of the plate and around the pipe

better shot, note my steel toe holding up part of the peice to hold it up better, welds arent the best on it, but when I get it to the shop it'l be grinded down and a second pass on the flux core will prolly happen the two inch pipe as mentioned early had strategically torched noches made so it would slide into the fins for a good fit... yes I got those fins from the shop too!

lamp post up and running in the front driveway, yes it is snowin here, yes it is a bit nippy here in my neck of the woods up in fleming. the service outlet on the lamp post I really didnt need since I have an outdoor one less then 5 feet from where I plan to put the lamp... but I couldnt resist anyways. hopefully next week ill have it all gussied up and done, and if anyone sees a flaw or has a good sugestion to make please say so... thanks for havin a look

There is nothing I find more rewarding then designing and building something you thought up of your own then seein it work.. even if its already been made

and if anyone sees a flaw or has a good sugestion to make please say so... thanks for havin a look

Nice job on the light. I've just got a couple of comments/suggestions on your project.

Where the base of the lamp housing connects to the electrical box, you might want to consider a way to make it waterproof. I worry that h20 will run down the lamp and get inside the box.

Secondly, I can't tell from the photo, if you've used one, but suggest using a GFCI outlet on the pole, wired so the light is downstream. Of course it depends on whether or not the outlet will be switched with the light.